Survival rates for those living with prostate cancer decrease rapidly the later the cancer is detected. Detection at stage four sees a decrease of around 40% compared to that at stage three.
That means ensuring you have the knowledge and awareness of the signs and symptoms of the illness is essential in increasing chances of recovery. Men’s health experts at FROM MARS have highlighted the five warning signs of prostate cancer and the importance of regular checks with your GP.
Prostate cancer is caused by cancerous cells spreading through your prostate. These cells can pass to other areas of your body, forming secondary tumours - prostate cancer can be fatal, so knowing how to spot the signs is crucial.
The five main warning signs of prostate cancer
1 - Urinating more often than usual, especially at night
2 - Having little control over urinating - finding it difficult to start or stop or experiencing a weak flow of urine
3 - Experiencing pain or a burning sensation when urinating or ejaculating
4 - Blood in your urine or semen
5 - Sudden erectile dysfunction
Getting checked for prostate cancer
Prostate cancer isn’t as common in men under the age of 30, but after 30 it’s a good idea to have annual check-ups with your GP for a prostate examination. Your GP will perform a painless rectal examination on you where they will insert a finger into your backside to check for any irregularities of your prostate.
Your GP may opt to perform a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test - this is a blood test which can detect any antigens in your blood, which arise if you have prostate cancer. However, prostate cancer isn’t the only cause of a high PSA, so if this is detected you will also need to have other checks, such as an MRI scan.
Navin Khosla, superintendent pharmacist at FROM MARS, said: "As prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men, it is important to know the warning signs of the illness in order to detect the cancer early on. Urination is one of the key tells of prostate cancer, if urinating feels abnormal or painful then I would advise contacting your GP so they can perform a full check of your prostate.
"The risk of prostate cancer increases with age - after the age of 50, I would advise visiting your doctor for regular prostate examinations. This risk is increased further if there is a history of prostate cancer in your ancestry and also if you are of African-Caribbean or African ancestry - if this is the case I would advise the regular checks to start from the age of 45.
"Unfortunately, there’s no way of completely eradicating the risk of developing prostate cancer. However, there are a few lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the chances - maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly are important changes you can make to improve your health, also reducing animal-fat intake and consumption of processed meats can help reduce these risks.”
Find more information about prostate cancer here.
